4 Ways to Cater to the Mobile Job Seeker

Today’s job search no longer consists of skimming through the local newspaper or sitting at home mulling over one job board after another -- the job search has gone mobile. In fact, a 2014 Glassdoor survey of 1,000 employees and job seekers revealed that nine in 10 (89 percent) job seekers report they use a mobile device during their job search.

What’s more, that same survey found that nearly half (45 percent) of job seekers say they use their mobile device specifically to search for jobs at least once per day. With so many job seekers using their mobile devices in their job search, it’s critical for employers to adopt this preferred method of communication to create an ideal candidate experience.

In an effort to better cater to today’s mobile job seeker, here are four ways to mobilize the candidate experience:

1. Don’t just be mobile-friendly

Having a company career site that is mobile friendly simply means that it’s viewable on mobile devices. Typically, that equates to hard-to-read text that forces visitors to pinch and zoom, pages that stretch beyond the width of the phone screen, requiring extensive scrolling, and links that are too small for anyone’s finger -- overall, an unpleasant experience for job seekers.

Rather than settling for a career site that is mobile friendly, optimize the site for mobile. Having an attractive and efficient mobile career site isn’t just aesthetically pleasing, it’s necessary. According to CareerBuilder’s 2013 Candidate Behavior Study of 5,518 workers, two in five candidates say their perception of a company is negatively impacted if a company career site is not mobile optimized.

2. Simplify the application process

Once the company career site has been mobile optimized, take it a step further by enabling job seekers to view and apply for jobs via their smartphones or tablets. With 27 percent of job seekers expecting to be able to apply for a job from their mobile device, according to Jobvite’s 2014 Job Seeker Nation Study of 2,135 adults, it’s becoming increasingly imperative to simplify the application process.

Simply allowing job seekers to apply for jobs via their devices isn’t enough, however. Just as career sites should be mobile optimized, so should job applications. A lengthy application form that is complicated to complete on a mobile device will only deter candidates.

Instead, create a simplified application process that job seekers can easily complete without having to sit in front of a computer.

3. Embrace the video interview

To truly provide job candidates with a mobile experience, consider offering them the option to participate in a video interview. Platforms designed specifically for video interviewing make it easy for job seekers, who are constantly on the go or don’t have a webcam, to take part in the interview process via mobile applications.

While this shouldn’t necessarily replace the in-person interview, video interviews can serve as an ideal method for screening job candidates. One-way video interviews, in particular, provide job seekers with a convenient way to showcase their personality and skill set early in the hiring process.

4. Take mobile recruiting up a notch

For a lot of us, mobile devices have essentially become extensions of our hands. That’s not hard to believe, considering that people between the ages of 18 and 36 check their phone an average of 43 times per day, according to a survey of 1,800 millennials conducted by SDL.

Aside from having a mobile-optimized career site that enables job seekers to apply for open positions via their devices, take recruiting up a notch by sending job opening notifications via text messages. Occasionally sending a short and concise text message to subscribers, previous applicants, etc. regarding an open position ensures that the job opening is being seen.

What do you think? What other ways can you mobilize the candidate experience? Share your thoughts in the comments section below!